Will step up operations against Songbijit, says top cop

PRANAB KUMAR DAS

Tezpur, Feb. 2: Assam director-general of police Khagen Sarma today said operations against the Songbijit faction of the National Democratic Front of Boroland would be intensified to put an end to the group’s subversive activities in Sonitpur district, which shares an inter-state boundary with Arunachal Pradesh.

“Give us a little more time to wipe out the NDFB (S),” Sarma said, after a meeting of senior security officials here.

The meeting was held to take stock of security arrangements along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border after armed men from Arunachal Pradesh fired at a group of people from Assam at Behali last Wednesday, killing 10 persons and injuring several others.

Another body was found at Chauldhua in Borgang today, taking the toll to 11.

Sonitpur superintendent of police Sanjukta Parasor said the victim has been identified as Lasu Mardi, 65, who hailed from Tinisuti under Biswanath Chariali police station.

She said a police team would search the area again tomorrow.

The DGP said a police station would be set up at Dikalmukh near the inter-state boundary.

Operations against the group would be more vigorous in the northern part of the district, Sarma said.

“We have sufficient modern arms and ammunition and manpower to combat terrorism and operations against NDFB (S) will be stepped up. Our primary duty is to protect and provide safeguards to the common people,” he added.

On the involvement of a militant group — National Liberation Council of Taniland — in the Behali incident, as alleged by CPI (M-L) state secretary Bibek Das, the DGP said an operation would be launched against that group, too.

He added that two cases had been registered at Behali police station and Arunachal police had registered another.

“We are in constant touch with the Arunachal Pradesh administration and they have assured us of full co-operation to apprehend the criminals involved in the Behali incident,” the DGP said.

The economic blockade against the Behali killings continued and the protesters blocked the passage of goods trucks at Chariduar, nearly 40km from Tezpur.

Arunachal Agrashan Pratirodh Samiti, an organisation protesting the alleged encroachment of Assam land by people from Arunachal at Behali, alleged that seven political leaders of Arunachal Pradesh were involved in the gruesome killings.

A senior police official alleged that the involvement of political leaders of both the states could not be ruled out.